NCERT Solutions A Thief's Story | Class-10 Foot Prints without Feet Chapter-2

 NCERT Solutions The Thief’s Story (Class-10  Footprints Without Feet Chapter 2)

Questions & Answers (Read and Find Out)

(Page 8)

Question 1. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story (the Thief's Story)?

Answer:

In the Thief's Story, I refers to a 15 year old boy. He is a experienced thief and changes his name every new month. This time he tells his name Hari Singh.

Question 2. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?

Answer:

He means Hari Singh is a fairly successful hand at stealing. Although he is only fifteen years old but he is an experienced thief. He does his job with pure attention and leave no sign of him. He even changes his name every at every new location. Hence, he robs people without being caught.

Question 3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?

Answer:

Hari requested Anil to keep him with himself. He suggested to coop food for Anil in return. And in return of Hari Singh’s work, Anil gives him food and a place to live in.

Questions & Answers (Page 10)

Question 1. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?

Answer:

Hari had learnt the faces of people when their money is stolen. He tells that a greedy man will show fear, a rich would show anger and a poor will show acceptance.

However, according to Hari, Anil would not show any of above emotions. Rather he would be sad not because of the loss of money but because of the loss of trust he had in Hari.

Question 2. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?

Answer:

Hari’ was an experienced theft. All these months of theft at theft he had learnt the different reactions of peofle when they’re robbed. According to him, a greedy man shows fear; the rich, anger and a poor man, acceptance when their money is stolen.

Question 6. Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?

Answer:

When Hari stole Anil's money but kept it back there afterwards, Anil was still asleep. 

However Anil must have realised that he had been robbed, as when he gave a fifty rupee note to Hari, it was still damp due to the night’s rain.

NCERT Solutions (Think About It)

(Page 13)

Question 1.

What are Hari Singh’s reactions at the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change overtime? {Hint: compare, for example, the thought: ‘I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve’ with these later thoughts:

‘Whole sentences, I knew, could one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal and sometimes just as simple to be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else.’) What makes him return to Anil?

Answer:

Initially, when Hari learnt to write his name, he was very happy and excited. He was eager to learn to write whole sentences as well. S this could add to his prospects of stealing even more efficiently. He thought he can achieve new milestones in theft.

However, when he stole Anil's money and left his house, he realised that stealing was simply a crime to indulge himself. You may steal one day but get caught another day. But, being an educated man was an entirely different thing. An educated person gets the respect, reputation and possibilities to achieve even greater heights which he would not in theft. And so his urge to receive education compelled him to return to Anil.

Question 2.

Why does Anil not hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?

Answer:

Anil does not handover Hari to the police on theft charges despite knowing that he had almost robbed him. He even did not mention it in front of Hari. Anil was an educated person he knew that Hari had realised his mistake that's why he came back. Hari also wanted to get education in life.

I think most of people would have handed over Hari to the police. If not at least they would have dealt with him by themselves. But Anil does non of it. He even do not mention about it.

I think Anil knows the importance of realisation of mistake done by Hari. He is an aware man with good understanding. Further, he wanted Hari to become a literate man and lead a respectful life.

NCERT Solutions (Talk About It)

(Page 13)

Question 1.

Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?

Answer:

I think, people like Anil and Hari Singh are found in real life as well though they are rare to be found. Anil was an educated, kind and considerate person. He knew the value of self-realisation by one. Hence, he was benevolent towards Hari.  

And Hari initially approached Anil to rob hin. But he is a thief whose heart changes after realising the importance of education for his future. Though these characters are quite imaginary in today’s world, but I do think they exist.

Question 2.

Do you think it is a significant detail in story that Anil is a struggling writer? this explain his behaviour in any way.

Answer:

Anil is a struggling writer, this detail has quite significance.  At one time he had at lot of money but at other he worried about his next payment. His lifestyle was simple and he used to spend according to his pocket at all time. Hari’s observation about Anil's discontinuation in his work justifies his behaviour regarding money.

Question 3.

Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen year old boy into a thief?

Answer:

No, I haven’t met anyone like Hari Singh. However, such people certainly exist. 

A boy of fifteen year age could be forced by the circumstances to become a thief. He may indulge in such act due to poverty and not source of food or shelter. It may be the need to feed the stomach or may be due to bad friend circle.

Question 4.

Where is the story set? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and places mentioned in it). Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?

Answer:

The story is set somewhere in Hindi speaking states particularly around Uttar Pradesh. We get to know about it through the story. As it mentions that there is a railway station for Express train to Lucknow. The presence of sweet shops and bazaars also indicate it to be a decent-sized town. No, the characters in the story do not speak to each other in English but probably in Hindi.